By Kari Williamson

The Los Vientos II Windpower Project will provide electricity and renewable energy credits for Austin Energy through a 25-year agreement, once operation towards the end of 2012.

The wind farm is the second phase of a 402 MW project. The first phase, the 200 MW Los Vientos I Windpower Project, is also expected to achieve commercial operation by the end of 2012. San Antonio-based CPS Energy has agreed to buy all of the output from the first phase of the project under the terms of a 25-year power purchase agreement.

Duke Energy Renewables President Greg Wolf, says: “For Duke Energy, the Los Vientos II project will help us put an additional 770 MW of wind power into operation in 2012. This will bring Duke Energy’s total wind power capacity to nearly 1800 MW – enough to power more than half a million homes.”